About Us

Our Mission

To offer you organic fairtrade fresh air-roasted coffeethat makes you feel as good as it tastes.Our business is anchored by our commitmentto nature, to coffee farmers and to you. We source and roast only high quality organic and Fairtrade coffees.

We are committed to learning about “all things coffee”, consciously adjusting our methods as we grow.

We provide you with products that you can feel good about purchasing, and we stand behind these products with friendly customer service.

Our Organic Fairtrade Coffee

Before we started our business, we decided that we would only purchase and roast organic Fairtrade coffee. Organic farming protects the farmers, wildlife, water systems, you, and us, from harmful chemicals and pesticides while Fairtrade helps farmers and their workers earn enough to improve the lives of their families and build healthier, more prosperous communities. Where we sourced the coffee, and from whom, became the foundation of our business. So, not only are we offering you a great tasting coffee, we are offering you a product that can make you feel good—about where it came from and how it has ended up in your hands.

When we heard about Cooperative Coffees, we knew instantly that we wanted to purchase our green coffee from them. Their values were aligned with ours, and their cooperative business model is exemplary and inspiring. They strive to import the highest quality organic green coffee on the market and they focus on building long-term relationships with small-scale farmer organizations, all while fostering fair and transparent trading practices.

The Roasting Shack

Hand Roasted and Packaged to order

Our Roasting Shack is on our 17.5-acre property on beautiful St. Joseph Island. We air-roast our coffee in 8-pound batches using a modified Sivetz fluid bed coffee roaster. When you put in your coffee order we hand roast and package it just for you.

Our roaster is simple yet very effective at roasting coffee. A fluid bed coffee roaster uses hot air to circulate the beans in its roasting chamber, which results in a brighter, cleaner, and better-tasting coffee. The hot air removes all chaff released from the beans immediately, eliminating the potential addition of tarred or burnt flavours to the beans. Also, we like to think that the secret ingredient in each batch of our coffee is fresh air from St. Joseph Island.

The first eight and a half years, we roasted our coffee in a small refurbished maple syrup shack on our property. We outgrew the space before we built and moved in to our new roasting shack in November 2017. Click here to read the story of our roasting shack evolution.

Get the right grind for your brewing method

The way you grind and brew your coffee greatly impacts its taste and your daily coffee experience.We aren’t baristas, but we have some recommendations below for enhancing your home coffee brewing experience using an AeroPress, Hario pour over dripper, and Chemex coffee brewer.

Coffee: 7–10 g per 6 oz cup or ~2 T (adjust to taste)Water temp: 93º C (darker roasts) – 96º C (lighter roasts) Grind: med/coarse (lighter roasts)–med/fine (darker roasts)Method:1) Place filter in Hario and rinse with hot water. 2) Add measured coffee to rinsed filter.3) Pre-wet coffee with a few ounces of water to allow the grinds to bloom (approximately 30 seconds).4) When the bloom begins to recede, continue to slowly pour the water evenly over the grinds working from the center to the outside of the Hario. Total pour time will vary from 2–4 minutes depending on how many cups you are making.

Method:1) Place filter in Chemex and rinse with hot water. 2) Add measured coffee to rinsed filter.3) Pre-wet coffee with a few ounces of water to allow the grinds to bloom (approximately 30 seconds).4) When the bloom begins to recede, continue to slowly pour the water evenly over the grinds working from the center to the outside of the Chemex. Total pour time will vary from 2–4 minutes depending on how many cups you are making.

Coffee: 7–10 g per 6 oz cup or ~2 T (adjust to taste)Water temp: 93º C (darker roasts) – 96º C (lighter roasts)Grind: med/coarse (lighter roasts)–med/fine (darker roasts)Inverted Method:1) Rinse filter (if using paper filter), place in filter cap and set aside. 2) Attach Aeropress parts so that rubber seal of the plunger is just inside the main body. Measure and add coffee. 3) Pre-wet coffee with a few ounces of water to allow the grinds to bloom (approximately 30 seconds). 4) When the bloom begins to recede, continue to slowly pour the water evenly over the grinds in the AeroPress. Stir to make sure all grinds are fully wet. 5) Let sit for 30 to 60 seconds. 6) Attach filter cap. Invert over cup or pot. Plunge slowly until you hear a hissing sound. Add more water to adjust strength to your preference.

OUR STORY

Follow-Your-Gut – A Coffee Opportunity

We’re big “follow-your-gut” people. And, our guts told us we could start a fresh, fair coffee movement in Northern Ontario. We chose to start our business on St. Joseph Island, with its island-living mystique, and its vibrant farming and maple syrup communities.

While living in Calgary, we found an old farmhouse for sale on St. Joseph Island and started dreaming of a simpler life. We leapt with both feet and moved to that farmhouse in the summer of 2008 with our 4-year-old son and started a more in-depth plan of our coffee roasting business. In spring 2009 we renovated an old bunkhouse on our property that would become our first “Roasting shack”. We’re also slowly renovating that old farmhouse.

Thanks to customers who enjoy our coffee and share our vision, that dream borne out of a gut feeling has become a reality. Since we started stocking store shelves in June 2009, our sales have been growing and we’ve expanded our reach throughout the province. We are continually improving our roasting process, learning more about the coffees we roast and the farmers who grew it.

Community Vision Fuelled by Coffee

Being part of a strong local food and progressive community development movement here in Northern Ontario, we aim to be an active supporter through our coffee donations, fundraising programs, and by fuelling ideas and connections throughout Algoma via our community involvement.

St. Joseph Island

Located in the Northern Channel of Lake Huron, St. Joseph Island is a 40-minute drive east of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario along the TransCanada Highway. It is home to some of the largest Maple Syrup producers in Ontario and is known for its vibrant Arts scene. It’s also becoming a popular cycling destination because of its mostly paved or surface-treated roads, low traffic and scenic views.

St. Joseph Island is made up of four townships with St. Joseph Island Coffee Roasters located in Jocelyn Township. Jocelyn Township has an active recreation committee that plans many annual events including cross-country ski races the first Saturday in February, the Mountain Maple Run every May, and the Harvest Festival in September, all taking place at the Jocelyn Centennial Grounds. And, St. Joseph Island Coffee Roasters’ coffee is available at all these events.

Shane and Heather are volunteers on the Township of St. Joseph’s Events Committee, helping out with the Just Passin’ Through Concert Series held at the Old Town Hall in Richards Landing throughout the year, as well as the Go North Music Festival held on St. Joseph Island in July. St. Joseph Island Coffee Roasters donates coffee and tea for the enjoyment of those who attend these musical events, with all money collected going back to the events committee.

Green Beans

Wholesale

We have several partners who distribute our coffees in their retail establishments, or proudly serve our coffees in their restaurants and coffee houses. Want to become one of our wholesale partners? Contact us!

Fundraising

Yes, we want to partner with your school, church, sport team or not-for-profit organization to help raise funds! Contact us to pursue this win-win opportunity.